Biochemical studies on some factors affected on bioavailability of carotene and vitamin A in some Egyptian foods in experimental animals

Abstract

The aim in the present investigation is to study the effect of some factors such as dietary zinc, dietary iron, dietary protein (animal or plant protein) and content of sodium nitrite on bioavailability of vitamin A and its precursor p- carotene.

In the biological study albino rats waster strain male weighting between 90-100 g were divided into 22 groups each group contain 6 rats. First group was kept as control and continued feeding on basal diet. Second group (depleted group) was fed on free vitamin A for 3 months. Twenty groups (3" to 22") fed on the free vitamin A depletion diet for 6 weeks then each of tested diet contained the RDA of vitamin A or [• carotene. Groups 3 and 13 fed on a diet contained high dietary zinc, groups 4 and 14 fed on a diet contained low dietary zinc. Groups 5 and 15 fed on a diet contained high dietary iron, groups 6 and 16 fed on a diet contained low dietary iron, and groups 7 and 17 fed on a diet contained high dietary casein. Groups 8 and 18 fed on a diet contained low dietary casein, groups and 19 fed on a diet contained high dietary soy protein, and groups 10 and 20 fed on a diet contained low dietary soy protein. Groups 11 and 21 fed on a diet contained normal dose of sodium nitrite, groups 12 and 22 fed on a diet contained high dose of sodium nitrite, the diets of groups 13 to 22 contained 2 % dried carrot as a source